SHC orders murder case against SHO, three officers over alleged staged encounter in Karachi

The Sindh High Court has ordered the registration of a murder case against an SHO and three police officers following the death of a young man in an alleged police encounter.

The court rejected a plea challenging the decision to file the case against the police officials and directed that an FIR be lodged based on the evidence presented.

During the proceedings, the plaintiff’s lawyer alleged that the police had taken the young man into custody and then killed him in a staged encounter.

The lawyer claimed that video clips had exposed the inconsistencies in the police account.

The lawyer further stated that the sessions judge in Malir had previously ruled in favour of registering a case against the police, directing the SSP Malir to record the plaintiff’s statement and file the case.

According to the police, the individual was killed in a firefight with the police on July 8, 2024.

The plaintiff contends that an altercation between the victim and the police led to the victim being forcibly taken on a motorcycle by the police and subsequently murdered.

The sessions court determined that evidence, including video footage, supported the claim that the young man had been murdered.

The court has instructed that a murder case be filed against SHO Quaidabad and the three officers involved: Constables Jahangir Marwat, Iqbal Hussain, and Babar Ali Rand.

The court remarked that the SHO, based on the evidence, is also considered a suspect and cannot register the FIR. The SSP was directed to record the statement and ensure the case is filed.